Search activity 'driven by online discussions'

7th April 2008

User-generated content and internet forums are boosting search activity, according to a new report.

On the Hitwise blog, Robin Goad asserts that the success currently being enjoyed by the house and garden online industry can be partly linked to online social networking.

Screwfix Direct - currently the second-most visited site in the house and garden category - has seen results from its incorporation of a forum for discussion called TalkScrewfix into its website, the search traffic monitoring service observes.

"Screwfix receives 5.4 per cent of its upstream traffic from email services, over twice the industry average, implying that users are emailing tips and links to friends and colleagues," claims Mr Goad.

Over the past 12 months, the site has seen its visits increase by 20 per cent, a development that Hitwise attributes to two important factors linked to online networking.

Forums and discussion groups boost search engine optimisation and create a base of loyal users likely to return to the site repeatedly, the blog post claims.

According to Direct Line research, 21 per cent of people intended to visit a garden centre or DIY store during 2008's Easter break.